Facelift: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Pros – Look like you feel, more self confidence, make you feel like “you’re back !”

Cons – Face Lifts are real surgery and as such like most things in life (like driving for example) there are real risks.

The risks are too numerous to list if you want to consider the uncommon and rare ones but things like excessive bruising or hematoma (blood clot under skin that may need to be removed), damage to nerves, and wound healing problems especially if you are a smoker or have high blood pressure not controlled.

The key to minimizing these risks is picking the right surgeon. To do so focus on the skill and experience of the surgeon.

Always check out his/her before and after photos and ask to see long term results and most of all that he is trained and a board certified plastic surgeon. (Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

All surgical procedures have benefits and tradeoffs. For facelift surgery, the advantages are a younger-looking appearance with fewer signs of aging, including wrinkles and sagging skin. A facelift can sculpt a more defined jawline and tighten the tissue in the mid-face and lower face.

Most of my patients say they look 5 to 10 years younger after their surgery, and with proper maintenance, they can look young for many years. The disadvantages of a facelift are similar to any cosmetic surgery.

There are always risks associated with general anesthesia, and recovery time will be necessary. However, choosing an educated, trained, and qualified surgeon greatly reduces your risks from surgery. (Thomas McNemar, MD, FACS, Stockton Plastic Surgeon)

A facelift is a significant procedure that to some extent reverses the effect of gravity. Any procedure has its risks, and these have to be balanced against its potential benefits. Every patient is different in terms of what their risks are, and what they are hoping to achieve with the operation.

A surgeon who is experienced in facelift surgery would be able to turn the clock back 10 or more years, and lift parts of the face that had dropped over time, while at the same time making you look refreshed and rejuvenated, not bizarre or unnatural.

Obviously, any surgical procedure results in scars and the potential for bleeding, nerve injury, asymmetry, and host of othe complications. I would suggest that you speak to a board certified surgeon who is experienced in facelifts before proceeding. (Wilfred Brown, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Here are the chief pros and cons of a face lift Pro – feeling better and more confident, because you do not have the tell tale signs of aging – jowls, flat cheeks, lax neck, looking ‘old’ – that make us feel old and make others treat us as old.

Face lifts are youth-preserving including in our jobs and relationships. Con – Cost and risk of complications. Today face lifts are affordable for most people. Risks are low, although they are higher for smokers and those with high blood pressure.

This is a great operation. Recovery is 1-2 weeks, pain should be minimal. (Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Pros:

• Provides excellent rejuvenation of the lower part of the face and upper neck, shaving 10+ years off one’s appearance
• Incisions can be well disguised and almost invisible
• Safe when done by the right person with the right training and in the right situation
• Healing time that is not too too long, 7-14 days
• Not painful
• Totally natural appearance when done by the right surgeon (look at lots of before and after photos to make sure your goal for natural look is the same as the surgeons)

Cons:

• Cost
• Recovery time, 7-14 days
• Unsafe when done by an improperly trained surgeon (stick with a facial plastic or plastic surgeon)
• Can leave an unnatural, wind-swept look when done improperly (look at their before and after photos). (John Bitner, MD, Salt Lake City Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Why and when to consider a facelift

Let’s consider the downside first: expense and recovery time, and fear of looking overdone and fake. Advanced techniques have really minimized recovery time, and a more natural look is the norm these days. The benefits of a facelift are that it does what no nonsurgical procedure does to restore a more youthful and healthy appearance.

The key is to think of it as a 3-dimensional operation, rather than simply pulled and tightened skin. (Richard Baxter, MD, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

The facelift procedure is one of the most dramatic procedures an individual can undergo, it helps to restore the basic balance to the aging face, by softening the jowls and redefining the neck line. The cons are it needs to be performed in a fully licensed and accredited surgery center, not a back room.

This is important to reduce chances of infection, and manage potential complications such as bleeding. Choose your doctor carefully, they should specialize in the face. Ask to see their patient photos to make sure their aesthetic or look is what you are looking for.

I prefer a natural look, some doctors like a pulled dramatic look. (Brian Maloney, MD, FACS, Atlanta Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Faclift is a great way to look younger, but may not be enough.

The punch line would be to turn the clock back, look ten years younger, reverse the signs of aging and so on…. The problem is that most patients come in and their main concerns are not necessarily very specific. People live longer, they have more productive lifestyles, eat healthier, and our energy levels are maintained better then our appearance.

People look in the mirror and see thier father, mother, grandparents and can’t believe they are looking in the mirror at themselves. There are several things that happen with our face as time goes on.

Due to age, hormonal changes, sun exposure as well as a million other factors including genetics the skin quality decreases. The skin becomes thin with a greyish hue.

Gravity takes it’s toll and with the relaxation of the skin deepens nasalabial folds, jowels, neck line weakness, it lowers position of the eyebrows, and large earlobes present themselves as a telltale sign of more advanced age.

The most undervalued and underestimated component of aging is the loss of facial fat that happens usually below the brows, on the cheeks and below the eyes. This gives our faces a hollowed out appearance.

Sometimes bigger people look younger because they have more residual fat on their face. When looking at facial rejuvenation we have to balance not only the pulling down effect of gravity but also the effect from the skin, facial fullness, and skin color and quality.

In the ideal world where we all have plenty of time to recover, plenty of money to spend on ourselves and a booming economy the ideal combination of procedures would include: lifting the face to compensate for the effects of gravity, filling the face with fat or fillers to compensate for selective fat atrophy, and an aggresive skin program including lasers or peels to increase collagen, improve the quality of skin, and to decrease the other signs of aging such as pigmented spots.

Even though facelift surgery is commonly considered the optimal solution by itself it solves only one out of three problems. It’s a great solution of improving ones appreance if done correctly, however it is not going to solve all the problems associated with aging. (Boris Volshteyn, MD, MS, East Brunswick Plastic Surgeon)

When performed well, this procedure can address so many of the stigmata of aging with lasting results. I feel it is a better rejuvenation tool and investment than repeated fillers. The down side is that it requires a skilled physician to deliver natural looking results.

No one ever want to see a broad scar in front of the ear and a pulled tight look. The obvious downside also is that this is your face. Every millimeter counts. It’s also not unusual to have numbness for a prolonged period following surgery. (Jason Hess, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Benefits depend upon you

The benefits, risks and limitations depend upon the type of procedure. For instance, quick, segemental lifts have essentially no complications. Lifts of larger areas involve more risks but with greater benefits-ask your surgeon. (Cap Lesesne, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

The pros for the surgery is that this surgery will provided with the most dramatic results for rejuvenation in your face, more tha any othe procedure. The Cons is that all the complication for a surgery shoud be consider.

The Cons will also vary with the experience of the surgeon, your helath etc… (Alejandro J. Quiroz, MD, FACS, Mexico Plastic Surgeon)

The Pros outweigh the Cons – if you want to lift sagging tissue and rejuvenate your neck/jawline

A facelift or rhytidectomy can be a great option for someone who wants to rejuvenate their neck and jawline.

Pros: It is a surgical procedure that “lifts” the sagging tissues of the neck and can change ones appearance. When performed by a highly trained surgeon, it can refresh and rejuvenate the face.

Cons: As with all surgical procedures, there are risks involved. The most common risk is a collection of blood under the skin that is easily treated. A full explanation of the procedure should be discussed in detailed with your physician. (Babak Azizzadeh, MD, Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Upside and Downside

The upside of facelifts:

• Youthful rejuvenation of the jawline and neck.
• More longterm correction

The downside of facelifts

• It is surgery
• Unacceptable result. (Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, FACS, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

In the right patient, a facelift is an excellent option!

There are many components to facial aging. This includes descent of the skin and underlying tissues along with some skin excess. Additionally, volume loss may be a key component as well as photoaging of the skin.

Full facial rejuvenation may address all of these components. A facelift is only one component. You should seek a consultation with an ASAPS member to help determine which path or paths is best for you to take. (Sanjay Grover, MD, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

From the patient standpoint, your age, your lifestyle, components of facial aging (skin textural vs. soft tissue contours), and how you feel about individual features of your aging affect YOUR pros and cons.

From the surgeon standpoint, his or her aesthetic sense, technical ability, knowledge, judgement, and surgical suite/operating facility affect the pros and cons. Pros and Cons, or upside and downside, or risks and benefits, vary between individuals and surgeons.

This is why several consultations are advised. (Steve Laverson, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Advantages and disadvantages of facelift

Facelift procedures are designed to rejuvenate the face and correct or reverse the signs of facial aging. A thorough understanding of all the pros and cons requires in depth consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon, who will advise you on the best course of treatment for you.
(Olivia Hutchinson, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

A good facelift lifts the spirit!!

When a patient inquires about facial rejuvenation, facelifting is one possible option. To understand one’s needs better it is wise to understand that aging of the face takes it’s toll on the skin, the muscle, the fat, and the bone of the face.

The best facelift is one that addresses all four areas adequately. A good preoperative analysis by an experienced facelift surgeon will help you make a good decision regarding a facelift and other possible interventions (lase resurfacing, fat grafting, facial implants, etc.)

Some of the pro’s of a facelift would be as follows: more youthful appearance, a natural look, reduction in sag of the skin of the face and neck, improved quality of the skin itself, improved volume in the face…

Some con’s would be as follows: downtime, wound healing problems, prolonged numbness, facial nerve palsy, wind-tunnel appearance, visible scars, hairloss at incisions…

A facelift is best performed to help one get the look on the outside that best reflects the sense of self on the inside.

Be aware that there are many surgeons who perform facelifts, but there are fewer who perform them well. Be a cautious customer and check into the credentials of your surgeon. See before/after pictures of their patients.

Speak to their patients and make sure you can really trust your surgeon. It’s your face after all! (Manish H. Shah, MD, FACS, Denver Plastic Surgeon)

A facelift is a wonderful surgical procedure to enhance the appearance of the lower face and neck. Patients with droopy jowls, loose neck skin, bands in their neck, and fullness under the chin are excellent candidates for a facelift.

The key to providing a youthful, rejuvenated appearance is to keep things looking natural and unoperated. The recovery after a facelift is approximately 2 weeks and most patients are social at this point. (Etai Funk, MD, Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon)

The pro of a facelift is the natural refreshed look

Natural refreshed look of a well done facelift is an art. Part of the art of acheiving a natural look is choosing the right patient. If you have a sagging jaw line > a facelift restores the natural heart shaped appearance of the jaw line.

If you have a sagging neck > a SMAS facelift can restore the neck line. Deep nasolabial folds can be treated with a filler or significantly improved with a quick recovery facelift. The cons you should plan on being incognito for 5 to 10 days. (Larry Weinstein, MD, Morristown Plastic Surgeon)

Face Lifts can dramatically refresh and rejuvenate the face by removing excess fat, suspending layers of relaxed tissue and removing surplus of facial skin. While a Face Lift usually makes patients look younger and less tired, softer and more youthful result.

Speak with a board certified Plastic surgeon specializing in facelift procedures to minimize any risk of complications. (Vivian Hernandez, MD, FACS, Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon)

Facelift – Think about the results you are looking for

The most important think to first understand is what you are looking to achieve from a facelift. Facelifts are ONLY performed to imporve the appearance of the jowel and neck. Deep plane facelifts will also lift the cheeks (midface) to give the most natural appearing results.

I have patients that come to me for cinsultation daily thinking they need a facelift to improve there appearance when a different procedure may be much better for them. With any procedure there are always pros and cons.

These must be weighed when considering any procedure. For a facelift there is the recovery process that must be kept in mind. The link below will take you to a comprehensive facelift information page with information, photos, and videos of the entire facelift process. (Jacob D. Steiger, MD, Boca Raton Facial Plastic Surgeon)

When having a great facelift, there really are not any cons per se. The pros are looking great and feeling great. The only down side is the first week or two after surgery when you have to recuperate, but the recuperation from a facelift is really nothing.

Just the down time can be a bit boring. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

The possible benefits of a facelift procedure are a natural rejuvenation of the face. Specifically, this procedure targets the lower 1/2 of the face and upper neck, where reduction of the jowls, improvement of the jawline, reduction of neck bands and improvement of marionnette lines may be seen.

The downside is that it may look unnatural and ‘windswept’–a look that an experienced surgeon may be able to avoid. And like any surgery, there are risks – these issues will vary with the specific procedure(s) chosen and should be discussed with your physician in person. (Sam Most, MD, Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon)

A facelift is the best way to tighten the neck and jawline

The pros of a Facelift are that you can get a great neck and jawline tightening and correction of the jowl and the elevation of the cheek.

The cons are that it is one of the most expensive surgeries you can have, and it also has an associated downtime. There are few procedures that can be as rewarding for patients as well performed Facelift. (Jason B. Diamond, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon)